Hamburgers, Fluff, and Roses
by awesomebooks
Summary: After a series of interrupted hamburger dates and the realization that it seems impossible for them to get some time alone at Granny's, Rumple decides to surprise Belle with a more private date. Pure fluff! *Set in season 2 RSS 2014 for rosexknight They live in an apartment on top of the shop in this. K for small innuendos
1. Chapter 1

RSS 2014

Written for rosexknight on tumblr

Prompt: Interrupted hamburger dates

Word Count: 10,171 (Total)

**_Hamburgers, Fluff, and Roses_**

"Belle," Rumple called, opening the door that led to the sitting room in the back of the shop.

"Yes?" She asked, lifting her eyes from the book she had been reading to meet his.

"I... I uh…" He moved closer to the couch she was seated on, his cane tapping on the shined wood floor with each step. "I don't believe we ever finished our meal the other day, thanks to interruptions by Regina."

"Don't forget Granny," Belle added,

"Yes, and Granny." He sat down beside her, his hand rolling through her hair. "What do you say we finish what we started? How would you like to go to lunch now?"

"Now?" Belle asked, unable to hide her surprise, "Yeah… I just,"

"We don't have to if you don't want." He assured, sensing the apprehension in her tone,

"No, of course I want to. I just need to get around, I'm a mess." She motioned at herself-wrinkled skirt and grey blouse to match with her hair a mess and no makeup on."

"You look beautiful," He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her cheek. Belle could feel herself blush as she touched his cheek kiss and rose to her feet.

"I'll be back in ten minutes." She smiled, setting the book she had been reading on the side table beside the couch. Rumple watched as she walked away, smiling to himself, _she's such an angel, how did she ever fall for me? _

Rumple was polishing one of the brass antiques behind the glass counter in the shop when Belle stepped back in. "Are you ready?" She asked, almost shyly.

"Of course." He placed the object he'd been polishing back in the case, and grabbed his and Belle's coats off of a hanger. His own jacket was in the crook of his forearm as he adorned Belle's coat about her.

"Thank you, Mr. Gold." She said in a manner than was a partial tease and a partial flirt due to the way her eyes danced and her smile flashed.

"What do you want, Gold?" Granny asked a bit abruptly as the couple entered the shop.

"Well, a meal would be nice." His accent highlighted his snarl.

"Have a seat over here." Ruby called from the back, the couple followed her instructions, "I'll be back in a minute to take your orders."

"Let's see if we can make it through a date without being interrupted," Rumple joked, but his tone was gruffer than he had intended it to be.

"Oh, stop." Belle soothed, "Just because it happened before doesn't mean it'll happen again." His lips cracked upward, he was drinking her in- hair flowing loose about her shoulder and the bright red lipstick and brown shimmery eye shadow along with the mascara atop her already luscious lashes made her face look as delicate as a porcelain doll. Ruby came back with their drinks-two ice teas- and took their orders-two hamburgers with everything on them- and left again. Rumple's head was tilted slightly, watching Belle sip on her drink, "What?" She asked once she'd noticed how he'd been watching her. "Did I smear my lipstick?" She grabbed for a napkin, but Rumple's hand stopped her. She glanced at her hand-now interwoven with Rumple's.

"I was just thinking," he found himself becoming hypnotized in her eyes,

"About?" She pulled her hair back with her free hand,

"How lucky I am to have you in my life. I can't for anything, sweetheart, understand how or why you love me… I'm glad that you do, though. I love you, my beautiful Belle." He raised her hand to his lips and planted a gentle kiss on it. No matter how many times he called her that, it still made her cheeks go rosy and her face crease from her smile.

"Enjoy your meal; let me know if you need anything else." Ruby said as she served the burgers. Belle nodded to her before she walked away, and then her eyes shifted to Rumple,

"Here we go again," She tried to joke, picking up the burger-Rumple doing the same- "Cheers?"

"Cheers," Rumple agreed, raising his burger to Belle's. They were just about to take a bite when,

"Gold, we need to talk!"

"Oh, not again." He mumbled under his breath, Regina approaching him. "I need something!"

"I'd imagine, dearie, people usually don't just find me because they want to have a nice chat." His tone had a slight hiss in it, more from annoyance than anything else.

"Rumple…" Belle's voice sounded much like a mother warning her child against something.

"I need to go to your shop." Regina stood with her arms crossed.

"Alright, come back when I'm… Oh I don't know, actually there!" He spat back, "Can't you tell I'm a little occupied right now?"

"Yes, I do. Can't you see that I really don't care? I need it ASAP!" Rumple sighed, under normal circumstances he would've put up more of a disagreement-but not with Belle there.

"Excuse me, Belle, I'm sorry to leave like this. I didn't know I'd have business while on a date. I'll be back in fifteen minutes- maximum." He got out of the booth, kissed Belle's cheek, and began to leave before Belle called,

"I have to be at the library in ten minutes." Her voice had a tinge of sadness, "Can it wait, Regina?"

"Can either of you hear? No, it can't!"

"I'm sorry, Belle." Rumple took her hand and kissed it again, "We'll do this again, I promise." He reached within his pocket, "Here's my wallet to pay for lunch, you can give it back to me tonight." Once Belle had put his wallet in her skirt pocket, Rumple stormed off behind Regina.

Rumple was behind the counter of the shop that night when Belle got home from the library. "Hey, sweetheart, you decided to come home." He crossed the room to wrap her- obviously tired due to her sunken face and the loss of brightness in her features- in a hug. "Rough day?" He asked, kissing her on the top of her head.

"Mhm." She muttered into his chest. He was running his hands through her hair, occasionally getting stuck in some of her curls.

"I'm sorry about Regina earlier; you know I wouldn't have left unless-"

"It's fine, Rumple, truly." She smiled-only for a moment- and Rumple was glad to see her at least do that much.

"How about I make it up to you?" He asked, "Say tomorrow for lunch? We can go back to Granny's and get a hamburger without being disturbed? Would you like that, my lady?"

"I'd love it!" Belle exclaimed despite the tiredness in her voice. She hugged Rumple longer than what was necessary-not that either of them would complain about it. "I'm going to go to sleep now." She leaned back a little, creating space between their stomachs, and gazed into his eyes in a way that couldn't be described in any way other than piercing. "Goodnight, Rumple." She smiled, biting her lip ever so slightly. He pulled her closer to him once more and shyly kissed her forehead and then the top of her nose,

"Goodnight, Belle." Once again, he admired her as she walked toward her bedroom. "Goodnight." He whispered again, unsure of exactly why, and then focused his attention to closing up the shop and following Belle's lead. She'd be up in the morning earlier than he cared to think of.

As he tried to get comfortable in his bedroom that night, he couldn't restrain himself from listening to Belle on the other side of the wall. _I've known her well over thirty years, you'd think I'd of gotten used to hearing her giggles gasps at the books she reads before bed._ He closed his eyes, taking in the sound. Laughter wasn't a very common sound in his life and to hear it-especially from Belle- it made his heart swell with warmth and happiness that hadn't truly occupied it for so long.


	2. Chapter 2

When Rumple awoke the next morning, the silence in the house seemed strange. _For so long it's been normal waking up to nothing. I spent years before I met Belle alone and years alone after the curse. Why does it feel so odd to not have her singing or moving about downstairs? _A memory from long ago in the dark castle found its way into his mind, Belle had-he remembered- been singing as she prepared his breakfast. _I was so angry at her for waking me, but she sounded like an angel and couldn't bring myself to scold her. _The thoughts from the past seemed to bring him to a reality that he should've noticed sooner, _Where is she? _ He immediately rose to his feet, grabbing a shirt from a drawer as he ran downstairs. "Belle," He called. No answer.

He went back upstairs and opened her door, and when she wasn't there his concern grew. Once he mentally checked off all the places she could be, he went to the sitting room. "She does so adore reading in there." He said to himself.

When he passed the kitchen, a not on the counter caught his eye, he picked it up and read it. _Rumple, I didn't want to wake you up, I went to the library early. We had some 'visitors' last night who decided to make a mess of it. See you at lunch. Love, Belle. _He set the note on the counter and scratched his head.

Rumple went to the door of the shop to flip the sign to 'open'. _I don't know why I bother using this thing, people are going to barge in whether I say I'm open or not. _He glanced at the clock,_ 9:10 AM. _Flipping through a dusty and old spell book, he felt confident that the next few hours would pass by rather quickly.

While tinkering in the shop and brushing up on his spells was keeping his mind occupied, Rumple couldn't have been happier to have looked at the clock and noticed that it was time he leave to meet Belle at Granny's. He flipped the sign on the door to 'closed' as he left_; maybe I can actually enjoy a lunch with my Belle today. _

Rumple sighed in relief as he walked into Granny's and noticed he'd beaten Belle there. _A gentleman is always punctual. _He couldn't remember where the words had come from, but they had been spoken to him long ago and he had always done his best to abide by them.

Not a minute after Rumple had taken his jacket off and gotten comfortable in the booth; Belle came in and was greeted by Granny at the front desk. "Hey," She scooted beside Rumple and kissed his forehead before moving to both across from him. "How's the shop?"

"Not busy at all, very easy day." His words seemed to be faster paced-like they were when he was trying to disguise his anxiousness. "What about the library?"

"It's a disaster!" Her facial expression, especially the overdone hanging of her jaw, showed the energy that it had taken from her that day. "All I can say is whoever broke in there had a reason… I'm certain it wasn't the books either." She was quiet a moment, "To be honest, it frightens me a bit."

"You have no need to be frightened, dearie" He took her hand across the table again, "Remember when I promised you you'd be well protected?" She nodded, and he continued, "I will still protect you forever and always."

They placed their orders when asked and then settled in for conversation before the meals arrived. They chattered about little things, memories, thoughts, and the typical things that new couples will talk about over dinner. "You know, Rumple, I've known you approximately 30 years and you're still keep a lot to yourself. Why is that?" He voice didn't hold blame or disappointment, just a simple curiosity.

"Well, 28 of those years you were in an asylum and I was here." He stated flatly, "No, it's not anything of your doing… If that's what you're thinking." He thought a moment of how to say what he felt without seeming like he was pushing her away, "I'm just not a difficult man to love."

"Not really." Belle smiled, and for a moment Rumple would've placed bets that he was the happiest man in the world.

"I guess I'd just rather hear about you, my dear." He didn't understand how he could look into those beautiful blue eyes and see the love reflecting back.

"I know you're not one for talking, Rumple, but I just want you to know you can tell me anything and my feelings for you will never change." Rumple felt himself get hot from the flushing of his cheeks and his eyes drinking Belle in longingly and devotedly

"I know, and likewise for you." Belle looked as if she were going to speak for a moment, but was cut off by the opening of the diner door. Rumple scrutinized the door quickly as if it were an enemy that must be defeated, _don't you dare, _he inwardly threated as he saw Emma approaching the table. "If we get interrupted again-" He started to murmur, and Belle followed his gaze. Once he eyes had focused on Emma, Belle's sweet smile turned into a sort of laughter with a tinge of annoyance.

"Gold, I stopped by your shop, I need you." Her words dry and coming out in huffs, it was clear she had run to the diner.

"My shop is closed."

"I know, I read that on your sign but I-"

"But you what?" He cut off with a bit of sarcasm and evident irritation, "Can nobody in this town read? Does no one know the meaning 'closed' I'm sorry, dearie, but I'm on a date right now with my sweetheart. The shop will be opened again in no more than an hour, please come back then."

"This can't wait, Gold, I'm going to need to get in your shop now. If you don't behave I'll have to arrest you for interfering with police investigation." He leaned his head against the booth,

"What is it you need?"

"An item that belonged to someone, you haven't done anything wrong…Yet. I just need in there." Emma's words could have cut the tension worse. Gold rolled his eyes and stood up,

"I'm very sorry, Belle." He apologized, "I really don't mean for this to keep happening. I won't be back before you have to go back to the library, we'll try this again, though, I promise." He rose to his feet, "After you, Miss Swan."

"Where's Gold going now?" Ruby asked, sliding into the booth with Belle.

"He…. He was needed in his shop." She was quick to inform,

"Didn't he have to go to the shop yesterday too during your date?" She wasn't trying to instigate anything, just questioning a friend.

"Ye… Yes he did, but we'll be back. I'm going to go back to the library now." She had tried to keep her voice even, but the sadness had found a way to seep through. "Here," Belle said, reaching into her bag, "Here's the money for our lunch."

"No," Ruby pushed the money back to Belle, "You guys haven't even gotten your food; I'm not going to let you guys-as friends- keep paying for something if you're not going to actually get it."

"Thank you;" She slipped the money back inside her bag, "I really should get back to the library, though." She excused from the booth and began to scurry to the door,

"I'll see you guys tomorrow!" Ruby called, a smirk on her face before she heard Granny's loud voice calling from within the kitchen,

"Get your ass back to work!"

Rumple was already upstairs in his bedroom for the night when Belle finally got home. He heard the bell ring downstairs, the closing of the door, and her light footsteps coming up the stairs to her own bedroom. He listened to her kick he heels off-and the clang when they hit something- and muffles of words from whatever she was saying to herself in there. A clap of thunder suddenly made him jump-he hadn't even noticed it had been storming out. _How long has it been like this? Did she walk home in this? _He couldn't let the question go unanswered, so he got himself out of bed and went into the hallway to knock on Belle's bedroom door. "You can come in, Rumple." She answered. He opened the door, not expecting to see her standing in the middle of her room in only a lacy blue bra and underwear to match.

"Belle, I'm sorry, I-" He began to back up into the hallway. Seeing her like this, it was a beautiful sight that he hadn't witnessed in so long. _The last time I saw her in so little was… In my castle… Nearly 30 years ago. _

"No, Rumple, come in, you had something you wanted to say?" She grabbed his arms and playfully pulled him closer to her,

"Nothing important, sweetheart. I just wanted to ask if you walked home in this storm." Belle laughed at the evident awkwardness in his voice,

"No, it started raining a little when I was halfway home, it wasn't this bad."

"You should've called; I would've come and found you." Belle pasted his cheek,

"I think you're spending a little too much time with Emma and her family, isn't that their saying?" He grinned at the joke Belle had made. "I know you would've, but Archie was out and he just brought me home. I didn't want to bother you."

"It wouldn't have been a bother."

"I know." She stood on the tips of her toes to give Rumple a kiss on the cheek. He then moved in to kiss her lips, unsure of where to rest his hands. With Belle nibbling on lower lip, his hands found homes on the arch of her back and her shoulder. _It's been so long._ His heart was racing, feeling Belle's flesh against his body. Belle took his hand on her shoulder and moved it just below her breast. Nervous as a schoolboy, Rumple's hands crept blow the lacy covering and cupped her voluminous flesh hidden beneath. His fingers gently began plucking up and down across the breast until he found her nipple-of which felt more like a pebble- and massaged it gently between his thumb and pointer finger. Meanwhile, Belle's hands were fiddling at the bottom of his nightshirt, lightly pulling it upward, when suddenly her cell phone started ringing. They both jumped when they heard it, and Belle leapt to answer it quickly. "Yes, ok. Oh, I see. Aright. Yes." Then she shut her phone and grabbed for the nightdress lying on her the bed,

"Sounds like quite the enticing conversation." Rumple remarked,

"It was my Father." She said, "He wanted to make sure I was okay and…"

"And?" Rumple raised an eyebrow; he knew where this conversation would lead,

"Well, apparently there is a hole in his ceiling and it's raining pretty hard." She hinted, Rumple didn't say anything before she spoke again, "He needs a place to stay, only for tonight. I told him he could stay here." She finished, then hurriedly added, "Now I know you two don't particularly care for each other, but-"

"He gave you away at the drop of a hat."

"What?" She was confused,

"When I saved your little kingdom,"

"You demanded me!" Her voice wasn't angry, but there certainly wasn't cheerful any longer. "Besides, I volunteered to go with you." She sat down on the bed, straightening the nightdress at the ankles, "Frankly, I'm glad I did. If I hadn't, I would've never met you and we wouldn't have fallen in love and we wouldn't have… shared that lovely moment that just happened." Rumple was astonished so much so that he couldn't hide it, try as he may he could never get over the fact that Belle-an angel among men- was in love with him."

"He tried to send you over the town line to forget about me!" He hadn't screamed, but his anger had lashed out of his mouth.

"He doesn't understand you, Rumple, you don't let anyone in. Honestly, it's a wonder you let me get to know you." He sat beside her at the foot of the bed, and grabbed her hand,

"What if he tries to hurt you, hurt me, or hurt us again, my love?"

"He won't." She kissed Rumple's nose, "you're being kind to him, just show him that. He's figured out by now that I'm with you because I love you, not because I'm stuck. I'm his daughter and he wants what makes me happy-and that's you." She kissed his nose, and he wrapped an arm around her. "He sleeps on the couch." Rumple declared.

"You're making more of it than what needs to be, now come on, let's go wait for Papa downstairs." Belle looped her arm through Rumple's, and at that moment nothing in the universe could've been as great of a feeling.


	3. Chapter 3

"Papa," Belle greeted Maurice as soon as the bell sounded and the door had opened.

"Thank you for giving me a place to stay, Belle." He hugged his daughter awkwardly.

"It's not me you ought to be thanking." Belle said, pulling away from her father, "After all it is Rumple's home." It was evident that Maurice didn't want to even consider thanking Rumple, but once he saw Rumple leaning against the wall of the staircase, he was quick to nod to him, "Thank you, Sir." An underlying tone of uneasiness filled the words, but Rumple chose to ignore them.

"How could I say 'no' to my Lady's request?" Rumple said simply. "You'll be sleeping in the parlor." He informed, pointing to the door behind the counter in the shop. "It's nearly ten; I do believe that's late enough to be up." Belle turned around and made a face at Rumple, not understanding the apprehension and rush in his voice.

"Actually, Rumple, I'm going to visit with my father for a few minutes." Belle said in a voice that made Rumple feel the need to remove himself from the scene.

"As you wish." Tensely, he moved toward Belle and wrapped his arms around her. He allowed his head to rest close to her ear so that he could speak to her in a whisper, "If he tries to take you again, if you need anything at all, just call for me." She patted his back acknowledging what he had said and allowed herself to enjoy the light kisses he planted on her neck and cheek.

Though the lights in his room were off and he had told Belle he would be going to sleep, that was the last thing on his mind. _I am not going to be sleeping as long as that man is in my home. If he tries to send Belle over the line again or anything to deter our relationship, well, a beating with my cane isn't the worst pain he's going to get… Not by a long shot._

About a half hour had passed when a sudden knock on his bedroom door startled him. "Come in" He answered abruptly.

"It's just me," Belle laughed walking in, "You sounded a little on edge when you left." She used the moonlight shining across the floor to make her way to Rumple's bed, and seated herself on the edge of it. Her hand found Rumple's face and traced his profile gently, "I just thought I'd tell you that my father didn't try to kidnap me again and that I'm perfectly fine. I know you won't sleep if I don't tell you."

"I won't sleep anyways." He admitted, and Belle smiled sadly, "I'm sorry, Belle, but I do not trust that man."

"I know, maybe you should try to." She encouraged, bending over to give him a quick kiss. The simple kiss, both knew, could've easily turned to something more had Maurice not been in the parlor. "Goodnight, Rumple." She said as she closed the door.

"Goodnight, Sweetheart." He responded, unsure if she had heard him or not. When he heard the door to Belle's room close, and was certain she was in bed for the night, he pulled himself out of bed and crept past Belle's room and downstairs into the parlor where Maurice had settled in for the night.

He slammed the door open, causing Maurice to jump on his couch bed a bit. Thanks to the faint trace of moonlight, Maurice could easily see Rumple's outline in the doorway. "Mr. Gold," his voice was no more than a squeak.

"That would be I." Rumple moved forward, leaning on his cane for added support.

"I… Is there something I can do for you?" Rumple grinned slyly- though in the darkness no one would've been able to see that he had- detecting that he had some type of power over this man by the nervousness in his voice.

"Not right now." Rumple made his way even closer to Maurice, kneeling once he got close enough. "I just wanted to let you know that the only reason you're here right now is because your daughter has a very kind heart."

"Yes, I figured as much." His voice wobbled at its vain attempt to stay strong.

"Personally, I don't want you here. You see," He grabbed Maurice's chine between his thumb and forefinger, "The problem here, dearie, is that I don't trust you."

"You think I want to be… be at the home of the man- who took my daughter from me-? No, I don't."

"I just want to make sure you understand one thing." Rumple continued, ignoring Maurice's comment and standing to pace around the room. "You see, I know you don't like me. You know I don't like you either. As much as I would've loved to let you stay outside all night, Belle wouldn't allow that. Well your daughter-much to your dismay- has my heart. I can't say no to her. Unlike me, though, you don't want your daughter to be happy—well I'm sure you do, but not if it interferes with what you want. I mean, you were willing to make your daughter forget about you by sending her over the town line simply so that she wouldn't be in love with me."

"I was doing what was best for her"

"Belle is a lovely young woman." He leaned more than was necessary on the cane, "She's got a good head and I think she's perfectly capable of making her own decisions. I don't think it's up to you who she falls in love with. I would never –no matter how much I disliked the partner- erase my child's memories just so they wouldn't be in love with someone I disproved of."

"What do you know of raising and loving a child!?" Maurice exploded. The air suddenly grew much thicker than it had previously been; a chainsaw couldn't have cut through the tension in that room. Rumple hung his head for a moment, then brought it back up,

"A lot more than you think, dearie." The tone of Rumple's voice was something impossible to describe, a wisdom that Maurice had never heard before,

"Cut to the point, Gold. You came down here to say something, say it." The haste in his voice and the prior sentences Maurice had said were stuck in Rumple's mind.

"I just came to say," His voice was strong again, not showing the slightest detection that he was mulling over and tearing apart on the inside, "that if you _dare_ try to do something to Belle tonight-be that kidnapping her, trying to take her over the town line, trying to convince how awful I am, whatever it may be- I _will_ find you, and there will be a price."

"What are you going to cast some spell to hold my child captive?"

"No," Rumple answered simply, "No magic, I'm going to trust your word. However, just as all magic comes with a price, so do actions. Sleep well Sir French, and remember… I will be awake all night, ready to do whatever I must to protect _my _Belle."

"Your Belle?" Maurice scoffed. Rumple didn't say anything to the comment, just walked out the door, but heard before leaving, "You're a monster, Rumpelstiltskin."

"A monster, maybe." The comment made him feel indifference, he just shrugged and continued on, "Whether you like it or not, Moe, your daughter has fallen for the monster. For some reason she loves me, and don't you doubt for a moment that I love her. Mark my words, Moe; do not try to pull anything tonight." Rumple exited the parlor and with the snap of his finger the large doors slammed behind him and echoed through the building.

As he lay curled up in bed, Rumple cradled a scarf that had belonged to his son. "I'm sorry, Bae." He was physically crying and felt his heart was about to break, "Moe was right, what right do I have to tell him about his child's happiness? I couldn't even make you happy." The whimpers were quiet, only he would've been able to hear himself speak. "I wish I could change everything, Bae, believe me I do. I promise you, Son, one day we'll be together. You're out there… Somewhere…" Light footsteps entered his room following the creek of the door. Immediately, he was on edge, thinking Maurice was up to something, but his fears melted away instantly upon Bell's gentle voice.

"Rumple?"

"Yes?" He sniffed, trying to cease the tears.

"Are you crying?"

"No." He lied, but felt Belle sit on the edge of his bed again,

"You are." She stated, "You want to tell me what's wrong?"

"It's nothing, really." Belle shook her head once he said this, "Belle, I-"

"I heard you sneak down to speak with my father." She stretched out on the bed and laid her head near Rumple's shoulder. "Did he say something?"

"Yes."

"Did you say something?" Her question cut him to the quick,

"Maybe a little something but-"

"Rumple…" The motherly tone was back, "I do wish you two could get along. He's my father, but Rumple, you're my boyfriend. You both mean the world to me."

"I just went to warn him not to try to do anything ill to you or our relationship."

"Okay," She prompted him to go on.

"Words were said, but the main point is he told me I didn't know anything about raising or loving a child. Belle, I made my mistakes and I was not a good father, but I loved- love- Baelfire and would do anything if it meant that he'd know how sorry I am and that I love him. I want my son to be happy and know I love him and Mo just-" Rumple broke, and was now sobbing, Belle wrapped her arms around him. It was unusual that Rumple would break down by words someone had said, but she knew what a tender topic Bae was.

"My father doesn't know about Baelfire." Her point was valid, but Rumple didn't care or acknowledge it was so. "Regardless of what both of you said to each other, my fate and my happiness is something that only I can decide. I love my father, yes, but I love you too, Rumple. Believe me, if I didn't love you, I wouldn't stay here." Again, Rumple didn't speak, but squeezed her hand. Belle felt some words of encouragement necessary for the moment, "Rumple, I'm sure you're going to find Bae. You know what else? I know that _when _you find him, you're going to be a very happy man and he will be too. I may not have been there while you were raising him, but listening to you speak, I know how you loved him. Everyone makes mistakes, it doesn't mean you were a horrible father." she tried to curl herself closer to him. "How about letting me sleep with you tonight? You know, so if my father should try to do anything you could protect me." She knew that would make him happy for the time being. Through the faint moonlight, she saw a small smile crawl its way on Rumple's face, and the blanket beside him lifted. She kicked off her slippers and slid her body beneath the covers, getting as near as she possibly could to Rumple, and letting his arms envelope her, feeling the shaking of his head due to his weeps ease into a still calm. Like that, intertwined together, they both fell into a sort of sleep, Belle's deep and restful and Rumple's weak as he laid half-awake half waiting for Maurice to try to pull some stunt to get Belle to fall out of love with him. That was one thing she would never do, Rumple knew he'd do everything in his power to make sure that never happened.


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning Belle awoke gently, rolling over to see Rumple at her side. "Did you sleep?" She asked with obvious concern, "It doesn't appear that you've moved at all. "

"I slept." He managed, feeling himself becoming hypnotized -as always- by the sparkle in her eyes. "I couldn't sleep well."

"Did I disturb you?"

"Disturb me?" His voice was more offended than anything else, "No, after all of those nights in the dark castle… You think you'd disturbed my rest last night?" He sniggered as he spoke; _those are nights I long for. Just the two of us in my castle… Her bed… The fireplace…_ _Her stealing the blankets and kicking me as she slept. _

"True," Her smile was mischievous, and let him know that she was thinking the same things as him. "Let's go get Papa up, I'll make us all breakfast."

On the table beside the refrigerator was a note, Belle grabbed it quickly and read it. "He's not here Belle." Rumple reported back from the parlor,

"No-o." Belle agreed, and Rumple noticed her distress from the way her eyes darted across the note and the tense posture of her body.

"What is it, Sweetheart?" Rumple approached her, greeted by the slip of paper being shoved at him. Rumple took the note, "Dearest Belle," He began to read, "I'm sorry, I had to go. Thank you for your kindness in providing me with a roof over my head for the night. I promise that I intended to save you, but you weren't in your dwelling when I came to get you and." Rumple's fury was showing in his voice as he finished Maurice's letter, "That beast threatened me. I promise you, Child, one day I will save you from that _monster." _Rumple crumpled up the note, "Do you want this at all, dearie? " Belle shook her head, waiting for some type of reaction from Rumple. "I told you, Belle, he was up to no good. This was another one of his plots to try to get you away from me!"

"Rumple," She tried to soothe, "He did do that, yes. Despite that, though, you've got to understand that I love _you, and_ I'm not going anywhere." She moved in to kiss his cheek, but he kept her distal to his face.

"He's got a point Belle. We keep denying it, but you shouldn't be here. Not with me. You shouldn't be in love with a monster."

"You're not a monster Rumple, you never have been and you never will be." He glared at her knowingly, she giggled under pressure, "Okay, maybe you did some bad things, but you're still not a monster. You're my true love." She flung herself around him, and he caught her weakly. Belle's words absorbed into Rumple's mind faster than any before. _Her true love. _"What matters is you're a better man, and you love me, and I love you, and you'll protect me no matter what…. And that we're still meeting up for lunch today." She bit her lip smiling, and saw Rumple mimic her actions.

"Right." He agreed. Belle looked at the clock,

"Well, I need to get to the library; I'll see you before you know it." She kissed him in a manner that was almost shy and then headed towards the door of the shop.

"Belle," He called, she spun in place to face him.

"What?"

"I'm going to put a spell on you; it'll just make it easier for me to protect you." She threw her arms to the side and smiled; she was accustomed to him placing spells on things and knew the procedure for when they were being placed on a person. "This might sting a little-but only a few seconds." He assured, waving his hand in the air, snapping, and pointing at Belle. A short wave of pain showed on her features, but it was gone as soon as it came. "You're safe now." He smiled and nodded that and she turned to leave again,

"I love you, Rumple." She said as the door banged closed behind her,

"And I love you too." He whispered even though she was outside the shop at that point.

Seeing that lunchtime was drawing near, Rumple went to the sign on the shop door and flipped it to 'closed.' _I don't know why I wasted money on this thing, it's not like anybody listens to it. _On his way to Granny's diner, he noticed stillness in the day, but a stillness that had a special kind of brightness and promise to it. _How am I thinking like this? Belle and I have really been around each other too long. _He smiled to himself; even the pain in his leg that normally ailed him had little bearing on him today.

"Good afternoon again, Gold." Granny welcomed as he walked in,

"And to you." He returned the greeting.

"Belle is over there." Granny pointed to the normal booth, to which he went to and slid in the booth across from Belle slyly.

"Good afternoon, sweetheart."

"Hi Rumple. I already ordered us our food. Maybe if we get a head start we'll be able to eat before someone need s us." The annoyance of their bad luck with going out to eat together had turned to a laughing matter by now, though it was still an annoyance.

"I promise, one day I'll make it up to you." He rubbed a strand of hair out of his eyes.

"There's no need." Belle responded, her lips in a flirty position, "You already have…. You love me and that's the most wonderful gift in the world."

The bell of the diner chimed, and both Belle and Rumple jarred their necks to see Archie walk in. "If he comes over here," Rumple started,

"Oh no," Belle was quick to shoot down the idea that they'd be interrupted yet again, "He looks calm, and he doesn't have much need for magic anyways."

"As that may be, my dear," Rumple's jaw was half clenched as he spoke, "he's coming this way." Belle turned herself around to look Archie's way once again, and sure enough Rumple was correct.

"Hi Belle," Archie came up to their table, "Mr. Gold," He acknowledged Rumple's presence, and then spoke to Belle once more. "Belle, I was wondering if you could come to my office for a bit for an interview.

"Yes, I'd be honored," She smiled giddily, "May I come after Rumple and I are finished with lunch?" Archie shook his head,

"Well everyone is sort of there waiting on you. The interviewers have other people to do, and now is… We really need you there now. I'm sorry to interrupt your date."  
>"Of course you are." Rumple whispered to himself, unaware that Belle had heard him,<p>

"I won't go if wish me not to." She said.

"No," He was immediately encouraging and warm, "Go, we'll try again… Tomorrow? |" He barely got the words out through a pitiful laugh. Belle nodded and made the same type of noise as she excused herself from the table to follow Archie back to his office.

The following day, Rumple wasn't even sure he really wanted to go to Granny's. It's like if we decide to go out, someone needs us for something. _I just want to eat lunch with my girlfriend!_

"Rumple," Belle stood to greet him with a hug, which he gladly accepted, before seating himself across from her.

"So," Rumple initiated conversation, "Who do you think will interrupt our lunch today?"

"I have hopes that it won't be disrupted." Belle-naturally optimistic- tried to give a positive outlook. Rumple gave a shrug of his shoulder, he doubted it.

"Well, maybe you were right Belle." Rumple said, picking up his burger and taking a large bite out of it."

"See, we just had to be patient." Belle daintily took a bite of her hamburger,

"What do you think?" Rumple asked,

"It's good!" She exclaimed, taking another bite-larger this time.

A few minutes after the food had arrived, the bell of the diner sounded again. Almost in slow motion, both Rumple and Belle put their burgers down and turned to see who it was.

"Good afternoon guys," Snow greeted, walking up to Belle and Rumple's table with Charming on her arm. "We were just wondering if we could get into your shop, Gold?" Rumple rolled his eyes, at this point his annoyance was rage,

"Seriously? Can nobody in this town read? I have my sign up, and it says closed. I'm closed right now, as you can see, I'm eating lunch with my girlfriend. I'll be back later." His hands were doing motions as he spoke.

"We're sorry, it's just that-" Snow was trying to beat around the bush, but Charming took over with more force,

"Get up, Gold. We need into your shop. Regina and Emma are trying to do something and they need a specific item from within there." Belle shot a glare toward Rumple, and he knew that he'd have to comply with the Charmings to make her happy.

"Fine," He got up from the booth, and looked to Belle,

"Tomorrow? Same time?" She smirked helplessly,

"Sounds good," He said to her, then turned toward Snow and Charming, "lead the way."

"We'll try once more." Belle tried to stay positive, twirling a lock of Rumple's hair, as they were curled up together on the couch later in the night. "If someone interrupts us tomorrow, we'll just assume it wasn't meant that we have a hamburger together."

"Why should we even try? We know we'll get interjected. Let's see all the bigwigs of this town have shown up at some point… Even the cricket showed up!"

"Calm down, Rumple." She rubbed his face, "Just try once more, besides you already suggested tomorrow at the diner… You wouldn't want to break a date with me, would you?" Her eyes grew even larger than they already were when she made an exaggerated pouty face.

"Of course not!" He was quick to react, "We'll try again tomorrow." Belle smiled, and grabbed his hands, staring up at his eyes. Lightly she started to sway his hands back and forth; he let her do the motion longer than he would've naturally done.


	5. Chapter 5

"I'm going to go take a bath." She declared, "I'll see you tomorrow." She kissed his cheek and left his room. Rumple rubbed his eyes and went to his bed. An image of Milah came to his mind-when she had left their home the same night she had met Hook. He forced himself to swallow over the large lump in his throat. _It's just fear._ He tried to tell himself,_ Belle is nothing like Milah. Belle is sweet and kind and loving and… She cares about me, really cares for me. Belle would never hurt me. Ever. _He settled beneath the wool covers of his bed for the night but, instead of falling to sleep quickly, he stayed up planning.

"Wake up, I have to leave and your ship opens in five minutes." Belle's voice awoke Rumple from the deep sleep- the first one of its kind in quite some time- he had been in.

"Belle, Uh..." He rubbed his eyes harshly, "Thanks for waking me, sweetheart." His groaned a bit, sleep was something that did not come easy for him and was even more difficult to wake up from. "Have a good day at work. We're still meeting at Granny's right?"

"Yeah, at 12:30." She blew him a kiss-of which he didn't even notice- as she hurried downstairs.

Sitting behind his counter at the pawnshop, Rumple's mind was off in his own thoughts a majority of the morning. As usual, no one had actually come into his shop-even though the sign read 'open.' The seemingly constant string of interruptions he and Belle got at Granny's had gotten old very fast and Rumple was tired of it. _Someone will interrupt us today, and then we'll say tomorrow we'll do the same thing and it'll work out… Then tomorrow will come and we'll get interrupted again. I'm not putting up with it anymore. No… Belle and I are having our date today-disruption free- just the two of us._

At the same time as he had been for the last week, Rumple closed up his shop and walked towards Granny's diner. He was there before Belle again, but only by a couple of minutes. They did their usual greeting and placed their normal order and began the chitchat of the day. Rumple had just made a comment that had made Belle laugh to the point where ice tea dribbled from her mouth from laughing so deeply when that dreaded bell of the diner chimes. "Don't burn it." Belle reminded, watching as his eyes turned from the sad but kind and loyal look they had with her to a rage that wouldn't be easily put out. Belle was used to fire being produced in his hands when she saw a look like this. "It's just Henry, and his mother is over there," She pointed to where Emma and Charming sat on the opposite side of the diner. Rumple looked at Belle, then back at Henry, his eyes softening but still containing a rigidity to them that Belle hadn't seen in a long time.

"Then why is he coming this way?" Rumple did all that he could to make his voice sound simple and not like a snarl, but his attempts were in vain.

"Hi Belle, Hi Mr. Gold." Henry greeted, stopping near the table they were seated at. The couple greeted Henry in unison,

"Belle, my grandma needs you to call her today."

"Okay, I'll do that just as soon as Mr. Gold and I are done with our lunch." Belle said, shooting her glace at Rumple as if to say 'see, I told you do.'

"That was very nice of you, Henry, to come tell Belle that. Thank you, now run along and have some fun." Rumple's voice was hasty, showing that he was in a rush for Henry to leave.

"Well, actually Mr. Gold, I needed to tell you something to." Henry fiddled with his hands,

"Oh really?" Rumple rolled his eyes; he knew he would get summoned away from lunch with Belle yet again. "What might that be?"

"My mom needs you."

"Oh Emma?"" Rumple seemed to take on a short ease of mind, "That's easy she's right there." He motioned to Emma, even though he knew very well that Henry wasn't referring to Emma.

"No, Mr. Gold, not Emma… My other mom needs you, and fast!" His voice showed the urgency of whatever it was that called Rumple away. Rumple's eyes-sad- traveled to Belle's as he stood up and situated his cane.

"Same time tomorrow?" Belle tried to ask optimistically, though she knew she sounded more pathetic than anything else.

"Maybe, let's not get our hopes up, dearie." Rumple tried to give a sad smile, bending to kiss Belle's forehead as before he and Henry left the diner.

That night, Rumple closed up shop much earlier than he normally would have. Well, technically he hadn't closed up shop, but he'd gone to the kitchen instead of staying in the shop the entire time. _This is the nice thing about my home being connected to my shop… It's convenient. _Rumple thought to himself, looking through the refrigerator and freezer for some food. He found a package of ground beef and pulled it out of the freezer, placing it on a counter, followed by some cheese and various condiments. He turned the stove on and found an old frying pan that hadn't been used in seemingly decades judging from the looks of it. He put the meat in the pan after flattening it into two patties. Sure, he could've easily done the same thing using his magic, but he wanted this to be special and made using his own hands.

After the grease from the meat had finished sizzling for the most part and each side of either burger had browned, Rumple turned the stove off and allowed the patties to sit in the pan just to stay warm so that he could complete his next task. He waved his hand in the air and a basket of rose petals appeared in his hands. The sweet smell of the flowers somehow seemed too improve the aroma in the room drastically within moments. _Women like romance. _Rumple told himself, beginning a trail of petals where he stood in the kitchen, up the stairs, and into Belle's bedroom. Once he was out of petals-at the foot of her bed- he did some of his magic and made a bouquet of roses appear. He studied the bouquet- a mix of red, white, blue, dark pink, and lavender roses. _Perhaps it's not the most beautiful of arrangements. _He criticized what he had produced. Had he not peered out Belle's bedroom window and seen her walking home, he may have spent the time to change his color scheme, but now it seemed there was no time for that. He placed the bouquet beneath the top sheet of her bed, then neatly pulled the sheet and covers over them just enough so that only the tip of one of the red roses shown. He left the room as it had been when he had first gotten there, and practically fell down the stairs on his way back to the kitchen.

Luckily for him, his time spent lingering in Belle's room hadn't cost him the chance of decorating the kitchen a bit more. With a few snaps of his fingers, a candlestick was dimly glowing in the middle of the kitchen table, the table was covered with a crimson cloth, a bottle of wine sat beside the candlestick, and the silverware was rolled up in a dark napkin. He scrambled to get back to the stove, a little dismayed to see that-despite the low hear- the meat was still a bit more done than he would've liked. Maybe-had time allowed- he would've thrown out the overcooked meat and replaced it with something closer to perfection.  
>"Rumple!" Belle called from the front door.<p>

"In the kitchen, dearie!" He hollered back, and when Belle came in her nose scrunched up a little-not from the smell but rather shock.


	6. Chapter 6

"What's this?" She asked, leaning to one side to relieve herself of the weight of her bag by placing it on the floor.

"Well," Rumple had just finished preparing the first burger, "It seems the people of this town have a vendetta against us having an undisturbed lunch date, so I decided to our own dinner date." He pulled out one of the chairs at the tabled and motioned to it, "Would you please take a seat and allow me the honor of dining with you, my lady?" His dimples and lines in his face became more pronounced when he smiled,

"The honor would be mine." Belle accepted, seating herself and allowing Rumple to push her chair in, then allowing him to serve her.

"Are these hamburgers well… Did you make them or did you use your magi-" Belle started to ask once Rumple was seated across from her-his own food in front of him.

"No, Sweetheart, these burgers were made by my own two hands." He picked up a bottle of wine, "Care for some, Belle?"

"Oh, thank you." She let him fill up her glass and took a sip as soon as he was finished pouring it.

"Well, my hamburgers certainly weren't anywhere near as delectable as Granny's, but I hope you liked them." Rumple said, clearing away the dishes and taking them to the sink. "Maybe one day we'll be able to eat there, but it's not in the cards right now, I guess."

"Oh, stop it, your hamburgers were delicious. Thank you for making me dinner, that was sweet of you." Belle snuck up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Let me do up the dishes, you've done more than your share for the night."

"Why don't you go take a bath or something? Tonight is all for you." _Well my life is all for you. _ The thought seemed more honest, but he never vocalized it.

"Okay, thank you." She kissed his cheek, and started off towards the bathroom. Listening to her feet tap the floor, Rumple smiled to himself only seconds before she reached the back of the kitchen, "Rumple!" She squealed, opening the door to go upstairs, she had found the trail of red petals. Rumple abandoned the dishes and was at her side in no time, "Aw, you're too sweet!" She gave him another quick peck on the lips before girlishly prancing up the steps and through the hall upstairs, following the path to her bedroom. "What did I do to deserve you?" She placed her hands on her hips, standing at the foot of her bed, beaming at him shyly,

"If either of us ought to be asking that question, it would be me." He found himself getting lost in her eyes once more, _how can anyone have eyes so beautiful-so blue? _He noticed embarrassment filling in her cheeks and her biting her lip without realizing it.

"Look beneath your covers, I think I see something sticking out." Her eyes had a simple and excited innocence to them as she pulled the covers of her bed back- much like a child on Christmas morning." Belle's jaw fell when she saw the bouquet, and she picked it up carefully and slowly, she admired it and ran her fingers delicately over some of the petals.

"Rumple…" She kept the flowers in one hand and the other covered her mouth, but before she could speak Rumple was already apologizing,

"I'm sorry, Belle. I know it's not the prettiest flower arrangement ever, but… But it has meaning to It honestly, the colors. Each of the different colors represents-"

"They're stunning." Belle set the bouquet on the bed and hugged Rumple again, "Thank you, that was very thoughtful of you." Their lips loitered together longer than a typical kiss." When Belle pulled away, Rumple awkwardly ran his hand through his own hair,

"I guess I'll leave you to take your bath now," The words formed more of a question than a comment. He didn't really want to go, but was unsure of Belle's desires.

"Or," She suggested quickly, grabbing the bouquet again. With her free hand, she pulled Rumple to her bed and sat down next to him. She ran her fingers up his suit-of which still smelt of the newness of a fresh bought suit combined with the mothball smell of the shop- and allowed her feet to dangle off the bed, "You could tell me about all these different meanings to these colors of flowers."

"Well," Rumple hadn't expected this; he picked the flowers up from Belle's lap to use as a visual. "They're all roses, obviously, I know their favorite flower. As you can see, I have a pink rose in here for you. Pink roses are said to symbolize sweetness-which you are the sweetest person I know. This yellow one, here, represents friendship." He pointed to the yellow rose, "Oh, Sweetheart, you are my beau, but you're my best friend as well. He touched the petal cautiously, fearful of breaking it. "White roses, represents purity- and you have the purest heart of anyone I've ever known."

"What about Snow White?" Belle tried to joke, she wasn't used to being showered in compliments and it made her feel very uncomfortable-but at the same time she hoped he go on talking like this forever.

"The lavender," He was quiet a moment before continuing on, it was as if he was processing a thought that was very dear to him. "Some say that lavender roses stand for 'love at first sight.'" Now it was his turn to be the embarrassed one, his cheeks blushing a shade of pink. He looked to Belle for console, but her cheeks mirrored his own. "Belle, I've cared about you very deeply since the moment I met you. Would I have called it love back then? No, I wouldn't have, but now looking back… It was." Tears started to threaten his eyes, he gulped, but that didn't stop a few from falling, and he felt Belle grab his hand and saw her nod for him to keep going. "This blue rose-they're very rare. Blue roses are a icon of the 'impossible'. Belle, Sweetheart, no matter how much I cared for you, I never in a million years would've thought you could ever love me. Your love, us together, it was an impossible dream for me… Yet look at us. The impossible happened, and for that, I am forever thankful." Neither of them had so much pride as to hold back tears now, both of them had tears running down their faces and catching in their throats. "Orange is for fascination because, frankly, you never cease to fascinate me." He moved on to the next color-red, gingerly rubbing the red flower-thinking a long while about what to say.

"One more color left." Belle pushed, dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief

"Red," Rumple began, "It's the most common color rose, a peculiar thing- I feel- for such a rare gift. It's not a secret that red roses mean love, but they mean so much more too. Respect is symbolized through the red rose and courage- I'm a cowardly man, Belle, but you give me the strength I want to be a better man for you, for me, and for us. Backtracking, the red rose stands for love and devotion. Belle, I make mistakes and I have my problems, but no matter what I will always love you. You've brought meaning to my futile life, light to my darkness, hope to my future. No matter what you believe, Belle, I'm a monster." Belle made a face upon hearing that, it broke her heart every time he spoke of himself as such. "With your love, though, I'm able to free myself of being a monster and just be a man. You see who I am, not who others see. I guess… My point is… Belle, I'll never be perfect so I can't promise you that, but I can promise you that I will be the most devoted man you'd ever know and that I will-forever- love you and cherish you more than anything else in this world." He brushed his eyes with the sleeve of his suit, "I never thought I-the Dark One- was capable of love… I never thought I was capable of being loved, but you've proven both those points false time and time again." He pulled her to him, and embraced her. "I love you Belle." He kissed her forehead, running his hand through her hair,

"I love you too, Rumple." They were both emotional for a bit. Somewhere, though, in the middle of their embrace, their lips found one another. "Oh, and you're not a monster." She caressed his hair and gently tugged the top of his ears. He pulled her against him once more, enjoying the closeness of her body to his and the sweetness of her lips. Belle began to back up, pulling Rumple's body with her until she was seated on the bed. In seconds, he was over top of her and she was skillfully unzipping his pants. "What do you say we turn a great night into an even better one?" Belle whispered in between kisses, grinning mischievously, and wrapping her legs around Rumple's waist.

"I think that would be a brilliant idea, Sweetheart." His lips pressed against her mouth, savoring the moment and ready for whatever else the night-and life- had in store for the two of them.

A/N Merry Rumbelle Christmas! Hope you enjoyed this little story, and-rosexknight- I hope it lived up to all your cute and fluffy expectations! It was a lot of fun being a part of this event, I can't wait to do it again. 3


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